Vehicle behavior control device and vehicle behavior control method

Abstract

A vehicle behavior control device is equipped with an other vehicle detection unit that detects another vehicle, a collision prediction unit that predicts that the other vehicle will collide with a side surface of a user's own vehicle, a physical quantity determination unit that determines a physical quantity relationship between relative physical quantities of the other vehicle and the user's own vehicle, and a brake control unit that is capable of individually and independently controlling brakes corresponding to respective vehicle wheels and that causes a braking force of the brakes on a collision side and a braking force of the brakes on a non-collision side to differ from each other, in accordance with the physical quantity relationship determined by the physical quantity determination unit, in the case that a collision is predicted by the collision prediction unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle behavior control device that controls a behavior of a vehicle when another vehicle is predicted to collide with a side surface of the vehicle, the vehicle behavior control device comprising:
 an other vehicle detection unit configured to detect the another vehicle; 
 a collision prediction unit configured to predict that the another vehicle will collide with the side surface of the vehicle; 
 a physical quantity determination unit configured to determine a physical quantity relationship between relative physical quantities of the another vehicle and the vehicle; 
 a brake control unit configured to individually and independently control brakes corresponding to respective vehicle wheels, and to cause a braking force of the brakes on a collision side and a braking force of the brakes on a non-collision side to differ from each other, in accordance with the physical quantity relationship determined by the physical quantity determination unit, in a case that a collision is predicted by the collision prediction unit; and 
 a posture determination unit configured to determine a posture of the vehicle, 
 wherein 
 the brake control unit
 performs, after the collision, a control to cause the braking force of the brakes on the collision side and the braking force of the brakes on the non-collision side to differ from each other, and thereafter, performs, in a case that the posture determination unit determines that a roll direction has changed, a switching control that switches a strength of the braking force of the brakes between the collision side and the non-collision side, and 
 performs, until the vehicle comes to a stop, the switching control every time the posture determination unit determines that the roll direction has changed. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle behavior control device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the collision prediction unit predicts a time of the collision of the another vehicle with the side surface of the vehicle; and 
 in a case that the physical quantity determination unit determines that the physical quantity of the another vehicle is less than the physical quantity of the vehicle, the brake control unit makes the braking force of the brakes on the collision side greater than the braking force of the brakes on the non-collision side at a predetermined time prior to the time of the collision, and makes the braking force of the brakes on the non-collision side greater than the braking force of the brakes on the collision side after the collision. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle behavior control device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the collision prediction unit predicts a time of the collision of the another vehicle with the side surface of the vehicle; and 
 in a case that the physical quantity determination unit determines that the physical quantity of the another vehicle is greater than the physical quantity of the vehicle, the brake control unit makes the braking force of the brakes on the non-collision side greater than the braking force of the brakes on the collision side at a predetermined time prior to the time of the collision. 
 
     
     
       4. A vehicle behavior control method of controlling, using a processor, a behavior of a vehicle when another vehicle is predicted to collide with a side surface of the vehicle, wherein brakes corresponding to respective vehicle wheels are allowed to be individually and independently controlled,
 the vehicle behavior control method comprising: 
 an other vehicle detecting step of detecting the another vehicle; 
 a collision predicting step of predicting that the another vehicle will collide with the side surface of the vehicle; 
 a physical quantity determination step of determining a physical quantity relationship between relative physical quantities of the another vehicle and the vehicle; 
 a brake controlling step of causing a braking force of the brakes on a collision side and a braking force of the brakes on a non-collision side to differ from each other, in accordance with the physical quantity relationship determined in the physical quantity determination step, in a case that a collision is predicted in the collision predicting step; and 
 a posture determination step of determining a posture of the vehicle, 
 wherein 
 the brake controlling step
 performs, after the collision, a control to cause the braking force of the brakes on the collision side and the braking force of the brakes on the non-collision side to differ from each other, and thereafter, performs, in a case that the posture determination step determines that a roll direction has changed, a switching control that switches a strength of the braking force of the brakes between the collision side and the non-collision side, and 
 performs, until the vehicle comes to a stop, the switching control every time the posture determination step determines that the roll direction has changed. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle behavior control device according to  claim 1 , wherein the posture determination unit determines, based on angular acceleration, whether or not the roll direction has changed.